If you guessed last week that we were making a chicken tractor, then you would be correct! Here’s a picture of our chickens that we picked up last night:
And we have even had our first egg!
I’ll be doing a follow up post in a day or two letting you all know exactly what’s going on with our chickens, and give you a price analysis of how much we have spent so far to get started with raising chickens. More to come! View more photos on my Flickr Page.
{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
This is so awesome! I wish we could do something similar, but since we live in the city we don’t even have a yard (and I think keeping chickens may be illegal…I’m not sure).
I’d love to see some sort of analysis on how much you save over the course of a year (or however long) keeping the chickens yourself.
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Are you raising them for eggs, food, or both? I would raise them for eggs, but I can’t eat anything I’ve seen in live form, and I think my kids would look at me as an evil animal killer. But ideally I think it would be great to raise them for eggs and food. I, too, am in the city, though, and I don’t think it’s legal. I am currently working on a vegetable garden. I don’t really have a yard either. If I did, I think I would have my own little mini farm.
How cute! We have 4 chickens too and we just love them. You have a lot of chickens for that size tractor. If they start fighting you’ll need to enlarge their space a little and give them some running room. We had to do that for ours and they are so much happier and giving us more eggs too!
You are my hero!! I have just started getting into gardening and half entertained the idea of getting chickens. After a quick conversation with my hubby, we agreed our HOA wouldn’t let us! Bummer! But the good news is one of my hubby’s coworkers has chickens, so we’re still going to enjoy fresh, local eggs! I look forward to following your chicken adventures! Have fun!!
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I bought my granddaughters some chicks for easter 4 years ago…spent $50.00 on chicks, food and a small cage to bring them home in. My son said he spent $1,000 to fix them a pretty little “hen house/playhouse/palace” that his girls said the chicks “needed”. Well, lucky me, they love having hens so everyone in the neighborhood gets to enjoy fresh eggs of all colors! It was a wise investment even though he over-built their fine chicken estate.
Very Cool!!
I grew up raising chickens. As someone commented above there might be some fighting. However, watch for the “pecking order” ~ You might find that you have a weak chicken, not getting food and might even die.
I do think it was a good idea to get mature chickens. If you get chicks it takes months to mature and have eggs.
Also, the smell… if they start to you can put down saw dust or wood chips. Helps.
Lastly, our chickens produced an egg each every morning. My father put a light in the hen house and it was programmed to go on in the middle of the night to stimulate morning. This way they produced double the eggs in a day!
It’s ironic that you now have chickens! My husband is in the middle of building a hen house.. it’s tall, 6feet. We are being FRUGAL about it though!!! Getting wood for free from family and friends that have projects going on.. and buying “call” wood. I know that’s not how it’s spelt, but it sounds like “call.” It’s wood at Home Depot that they consider damaged. You may not use the wood for big projects, but a hen house… perfect!!!
Anyway, good luck with the chicks!!
We are actually working on building another little coop right now, but you all will get further details this week.
I’m loving all the tips. Keep them coming!
Congratulations on your new girls! I have 8 chickens and just brought home 8 little babies. They are just precious. Now DH has to make me a bigger coop for the girls. Such a great experience having chickens, my grandkids love them.
Crystal, You will love the eggs! Nothing compares to them. They are much more healthy for you and your family. Yes they are a little work, but make it easy for yourselves to care for them. We have 9 Chickens (got them a year ago). Can’t say enough about them. It’s a good lesson for the kids to have animals around. Taking care of them and collecting the eggs. They will love it! How exciting!
Congrats on your girls! We have had chickens for 2 years now. Did a flock of about 40 meat birds first and then have had layers every since. I love them and our eggs are amazing and delicious. Would love to do some more meat birds…much more yummy than store bought! We have 16 hens that free range over our 4 acres. We live in the country so it’s no biggy if they stray off the property. My 3 yr old son helps me each day to go feed and water them and gather the eggs. It’s great fun and very rewarding!
I’m so excited to live vicariously through you!
I’d love to get chickens but alas, my hubby says no. So keep the chicken stories coming!
They look great. I’m a proud grandpa!
.-= Larry Harwell´s last blog ..Build Your Own Chicken Tractor =-.
Love It. I had chickens in my country and I miss them. My son used to read to them everyday when he came home from school. They really liked receiving attention and plenty of it. Will really enjoy reading your journey. The tendency to overclean a coop is something I find people do. There is balance. They need to feel like they live there.
We just got chickens this year too! Ours are in the gawky teenager stage, but we’re hoping to have farm fresh eggs in the fall. My husband built a coop using repurposed wood from old out building from my Grandpa’s farm. I love that. What an adventure!
http://givemeneither.com/live-simply-between-fluff-and-feathers/
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I was so happy to see your post today, it made me feel so much more normal because we just got our very first chickens this week too! I love them. I don’t really know why, but I do! Now we just have to finish making the coop!
I love the pictures of your new chickens! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures with raising chickens.
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That is really great that you can have them–I wanted some this spring, but even though I am not in city limits and own an acre 1/2 of land, I am considered part of the subdivision behind me and livestock is forbidden.
I, too, would be really interested in a cost analysis. Everyone keeps telling me it is much cheaper to buy eggs, but I would like to think it isn’t. Good luck with them!
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so I don’t know very much, but if you have a tractor, how is that free range? Do they use the coop at night and wander around you yard? I’m clueless, Help me out!
Is the tractor where they live, or is that just a place to go hang out and peck around? I totally know nothing about owning chickens!
Yes, they live in the tractor. It is mobile, so I can roll it around the yard. They have a coop section, and a “pecking” section for eating and sunshine.
I have been raising chickens for over 2 years and have not bought eggs since then. I LOVE my chickens. My children sell the extra eggs and we let them free range over about an acre. I don’t think I save money by having them, I do however, have peace of mind that these eggs are healthier and fresher. I would do it again if I had the choice.